1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of load-snatching, material-handling and personnel rescuing apparatus, in which the entire load is scooped up without the need of hoist cables and hooks. The apparatus utilizes a helicopter as a means of supporting and assisting in the load-lifting and releasing operations. This disclosure with illustrations describes how the task can be performed more precisely.
This disclosure with illustrations describes how the task can be performed more precisely and with less possibility of the apparatus causing any injury to the load. To assist in obtaining this goal, the extensions at the bottom of the lower portions would have resilient, flexible fingers or extensions thereof, and have resilient material fastened to the lower exteriors of the two lower portions, which could help stabilize the apparatus when resting on a platform. The material could be rigid, replaceable packing foam. Other than the above, no such cargo handling apparatus is known to the applicant having the improvements for precisely grabbing a load, without damaging the load.
2 . Description of Prior Art
The inventor is only aware of patents issued under his name that relates to his present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,538 dated May 11, 1993 on a similar apparatus has the appearance of the present one but lacks the surveillance and automatic features, needed for a reliable, workable scooping operation. In this invention, the helicopter pilot can see where the apparatus is in relation to the object to be retrieved. Also the pilot now has the ability to control and actuate the separation or the engagement of the, apparatus' lower portions. This invention has sensitive fingers or extensions thereof with strain gages to sense the fingers ability to get underneath the load to be retrieved. In addition no magnets, including bipolar, exist at the hammerheads to produce their repulsion or attraction in order to separate or engage apparatus' lower portions, for positive-secure-load-retention.
Another one by Gabriel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,220, dated Jul. 7, 1987, also describes a tongs-like lifting apparatus for loading and unloading containerized cargo, but this one has less relationship to the present one, in that the hammerheads and inflated pillows are missing. Gabriel's other patents, such as U.S Pat. No. 4,943,099, dated Jul. 24, 1990, relate to cargo hooks with hoist cables that need to hook on to a cable attached to the load to be retrieved. They are incapable of snatching the entire load, such as containerized cargo.